Overview:

Rapidly developing and emerging technologies are changing the landscape of health care, impacting patients, healthcare providers, policy makers, and industry partners alike. High rates of chronic disease are a significant health burden for patients, families, and healthcare providers, putting increasing strain on the healthcare system and highlighting gaps in patient care requiring creative solutions. New technologies have the potential to not only address care gaps, but also improve healthcare delivery in unprecedented ways. How can technology innovations be deployed to bridge these gaps, and provide a new frontier of healthcare services not seen before? What are some of these cutting-edge innovations? How are they transforming the delivery of patient care? What is their impact on systems, economies and policies?

The University of British Columbia’s interCultural Online Health Network (iCON), a provincial program supported by the B.C. Ministry of Health’s Patients as Partners Initiative, is pleased to host an iCON Digital Health Technology Innovation Forum to explore these topics at the 9th Conference of the World Guangdong Community Federation.

This forum will bring together leading health and technology experts, innovators, policy makers, and government representatives to showcase technologies that are transforming how we deliver patient care in BC.

Rowena Rizzotti, Vice President of Healthcare and Innovations for two private health sector companies, Member of the Conference Board of Canada Council for Innovation and Commercialization, and Centre for Business Innovation

Background:

iCON (interCultural Online Health Network) supports multicultural communities, patients and caregivers across BC to optimize chronic disease prevention and self-management through community education, knowledge sharing, and technology. iCON is an initiative led by UBC Digital Emergency Medicine, supported by the B.C. Ministry of Health’s Patients as Partners Initiative. iCON is honored to be an invited guest of the 9th Conference of the World Guangdong Community Federation to exchange ideas, and facilitate knowledge sharing about technological innovations in BC’s healthcare, as well as strengthen relationships with Chinese communities in health.www.iconproject.org

Digital Emergency Medicine is a research unit in UBC’s Emergency Medicine department with the goal of introducing, researching and implementing technology innovations in emergency and primary care with their interdisciplinary partners to improve people’s health and strengthen health systems.www.digem.med.ubc.ca

Patients as Partners Initiative, BC Ministry of Health. Patients as Partners is a philosophy, an initiative and a collaboration between patients and families, health authorities, health-care providers, universities, non-profit organizations, the Ministry of Health and other organizations in the province. Together, we are working to advance and integrate person- and family-centred care at every level of the health-care system.Patients as Partners website

The World Guangdong Community Federation (WGCF), founded in 2000, is an exchange and fellowship platform for Guangdong associations and people from different countries. The mission of the federation is to connect Guangdong people around the world, strengthen friendship, promote culture, enhance business opportunities and community services, strengthen unity and supporting each other.www.2017wgcf.com